Alex Mayyasi's User Profile - Atlas Obscura
Tonka Beans
Gastro Obscura
Story
Ingredients & Condiments

Tonka Beans

A legume so loved, it’s caused a “fever” in France and made Americans break laws.
Gastro Obscura
Snow Cream
Gastro Obscura
Story
Sweets

Snow Cream

Ice cream made with fresh snow is a beloved Southern tradition.
Gastro Obscura
Threads of God
Gastro Obscura
Story
Prepared Foods

Threads of God

To eat the world's rarest pasta, you must first complete a 20-mile pilgrimage.
Gastro Obscura
Paiche
Gastro Obscura
Story
Meats & Animal Products

Paiche

This 400-pound fish has fed Amazon tribes for millennia.
Gastro Obscura
Croquembouche
Gastro Obscura
Story
Sweets

Croquembouche

This French wedding cake is a caramel-wrapped tower of pastry balls.
Gastro Obscura
Pandan Leaf Extract
Gastro Obscura
Story
Ingredients & Condiments

Pandan Leaf Extract

This plant adds a hint of vanilla and a wash of brilliant green to any dish.
Gastro Obscura
Peanut Butter Fruit
Gastro Obscura
Story
Fruits & Vegetables

Peanut Butter Fruit

Its pulp tastes just like the creamy spread.
Gastro Obscura
Rollinia
Gastro Obscura
Story
Fruits & Vegetables

Rollinia

Brazil's spiky yellow fruit has lemon meringue–flavored insides.
Gastro Obscura
Hot Ale Flip
Gastro Obscura
Story
Drinks

Hot Ale Flip

A Colonial cocktail brought to you by ale, rum, and a really hot poker.
Gastro Obscura
Honey Toast Box
Gastro Obscura
Story
Sweets

Honey Toast Box

Many spoons are needed to demolish one of these ice cream-stuffed bread loaves.
Gastro Obscura
Blood Pancakes
Gastro Obscura
Story
Prepared Foods

Blood Pancakes

Scandinavians use blood to make dense, dark, savory flapjacks.
Gastro Obscura
Guayusa
Gastro Obscura
Story

Guayusa

The Kichwa begin every day with tea and dream interpretation.
Gastro Obscura
Dragon's Beard Candy
Gastro Obscura
Story
Sweets

Dragon's Beard Candy

The ancient confection consists of wispy sugar-strands that look like dragon whiskers.
Gastro Obscura
Loggerhead
Gastro Obscura
Story

Loggerhead

In the Colonial era, a red-hot iron rod warmed drinks, ignited cannons, and cauterized wounds.
Gastro Obscura
Screech-In
Gastro Obscura
Story

Screech-In

To become an honorary Newfie, eat bologna, kiss a frozen cod, swear an oath, and shoot rum.
Gastro Obscura
Bouye
Gastro Obscura
Story
Drinks

Bouye

Juice from the Baobab tree “tastes like sunshine” and treats dysentery.
Gastro Obscura
Agua de Agrillo
Gastro Obscura
Story
Drinks

Agua de Agrillo

This tart, rare flavor of agua fresca comes from Mexican skunkbush berries.
Gastro Obscura
Marang
Gastro Obscura
Story
Fruits & Vegetables

Marang

A Filipino fruit that smells like gasoline and tastes like pears, jackfruit, and pineapple.
Gastro Obscura
Monkey Gland Sauce
Gastro Obscura
Story
Ingredients & Condiments

Monkey Gland Sauce

No primates were harmed in the making of this South African steak sauce.
Gastro Obscura
Dunmow Flitch Trials
Gastro Obscura
Story

Dunmow Flitch Trials

Only the happiest married couples can win this huge piece of bacon.
Gastro Obscura
The Zombie
Gastro Obscura
Story
Drinks

The Zombie

Donn Beach only wrote the recipe for his famously potent cocktail in secret code.
Gastro Obscura
Cupuaçu
Gastro Obscura
Story
Fruits & Vegetables

Cupuaçu

This Brazilian fruit is cacao's lesser-known, tangy cousin.
Gastro Obscura
Vietnamese Egg Coffee
Gastro Obscura
Story
Drinks

Vietnamese Egg Coffee

A decadent blend of coffee, whipped egg, and butter have made this wartime invention a modern-day favorite.
Gastro Obscura
Réttir
Gastro Obscura
Story

Réttir

Iceland's annual tradition of rounding up 800,000 sheep.
Gastro Obscura